In controlling product inventory such as clothing, accessories, shoes, bags, wallets, and fashion items, the number of classifications becomes extremely large because each product is segmented by design, color, size and the like.
Further, with respect to products which are highly fashionable and heavily depend on the season, it is necessary to frequently change the inventory because these products should be kept in stock a short period of time.
Therefore, when these inventory products are to be shipped out, one must search and retrieve the desired products from amongst a huge number of inventory classes, and because inventory products are frequently changed, the administration of the storage location data for the inventory products is a major problem.
A prior art inventory control system, an example of which is shown in FIG. 9, uses a moveable read-out device 25 comprised of a bar code reader 17 and a data processor 6.
The prior art inventory control system, as shown in FIG. 10, is further comprised of an inventory storage location having a shelf 8 disposed on a floor 3, a bar code 17 attached to shelf 8, and a plurality of packages 9.
In addition, the prior art inventory control system shown in FIG. 11 is equipped with an inventory control center having a computer 19, a database connected to computer 19 or located therein, and a printer 20 connected to computer 19 for printing out a work order 29.
The moveable read-out device 25 shown in FIG. 9 moves between the inventory storage location and the inventory control center, and operates as transportation device used to bring in and remove inventory products.
When inventory is to be brought in, as shown in FIG. 10, a package 9 containing inventory is loaded on moveable read-out device 25, and is carried to a nearby storage shelf 8.
Next, package 9 is placed on shelf 8, and when it is placed thereon, a worker reads the bar code 18 attached to shelf 8 with bar code reader 17, and data on the storage location is stored in data processor 6.
When all of the inventory in packages 9 have been brought in, the moveable read-out device 25 returns to the inventory control center shown in FIG. 11, the data processor 6 is connected to computer 19, and the storage location data read from bar code 18 on the storage location shown in FIG. 9 is transmitted to computer 19. This data is stored in database 7 and is used for inventory control.
When inventory is to be cleared out, because data on the storage location of inventory products based on the bar code 18 attached to shelf 8 is saved on database 7, computer 19 searches the storage location data, lists the products stored on database 7 that are to be cleared out, and prints out the search results as a work order 29 by means of printer 20.
Therefore, a worker in charge of clearing out these products is able to search for and go to these products by means of work order 29, which contains data on the products to be cleared out and the storage location.
With this sort of prior art inventory control system, when package 9 is placed on shelf 8 or is moved from shelf 8, it is necessary to read bar code 18. With clothing, accessories, shoes, bags, wallets, fashion items, and the like that heavily depend on current fashions and season, the complexity of reading bar code 17 causes work efficiency to decrease because inventory frequently comes in. In addition, with product groups that have a large number of types but a small quantity, a plurality of packages 9 must be frequently moved and arranged on shelf 8 because the content and number of inventory products fluctuate over a short period of time. With this sort of change in storage, for each package 9 to be moved, it is necessary to first read bar code 18 at its current location in order to delete the storage location data, and then read another bar code 18 in order to register the new storage location. This is an extremely tedious task.
Further, in the prior art inventory control system, the task of registering products and the storage location data is necessary. Because all inventory data is stored in database 7, it is necessary to immediately return to the inventory control center after inventory is brought in and store the data read from bar codes 17 in database 7. However, the reading and storage of this data is simply a task which is carried out to control inventory data, and is not undertaken for the task of bringing in inventory, and thus this becomes a burden on inventory control.
A computer 19, a database 7 and a printer 20 are installed in the inventory control center. The inventory control center must be continually used, and its use requires tools, space, staff, and the like. All of this does not have as its object the storage of essential products, and is a burden on the control of inventory data.
When clearing out products, the products to be cleared out and their storage location is printed out on a task sheet 21. However, it is difficult to show a storage location in printed data, and because coordinate data and the like are displayed, workers must guess at the actual storage location. Even if a diagram is provided, it can only be a general overview diagram because it cannot be enlarged or reduced when searching.